The Umuhoza Project

Bringing comfort and hope to genocide survivors

In 1994 over 100 days an estimated 800,000 Tutsis died in a horrific
genocide in Rwanda. While the nation is rebuilding and healing, the
legacy of the events of 1994 linger.

Over the last decade, I felt compelled by God to travel with survivors on
their journey to emotional wholeness using my counselling skills and
thus the Umuhoza Project was born.

Every year, in April, there is an official time of mourning for the genocide and many survivors. Unfortunately although this is a time of
remembrance, forgiveness and reflection on progress, those who have
not recovered fully from this horrific trauma are re- traumatised during
the period. For this reason and many more, there is an ongoing journey
of healing in Rwanda.

The Umuhoza Project endeavours to impart healing truth to
survivors. Umuhoza is the name of one of the survivors which means
‘Counsellor’ or ‘Comforter’. Every April my heart is to go to Rwanda
during the memorial and work alongside survivors.

The goal of the Project is to bring comfort and hope, especially, to the
younger generation; an opportunity for them to rewrite their stories of
trauma with hope.